Guest blog contributed by Capgemini

For many utilities, more than a decade has passed since the initial development of their advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). Some equipment deployed as part of this first wave may now be primed for an upgrade, while the underlying technology may not support digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, 5G, IoT or intelligent automation.

Deploying a next-generation AMI solution that will serve as the foundation for energy and water digital transformation is a priority for many utilities. Without further investment, organizations may not fully realize the advanced benefits from grid modernization infrastructure. This challenge was a common theme throughout Itron Inspire, Itron’s customer focused event that we were proud to participate in as a gold sponsor.  

Capgemini helps utility organizations address these issues and prepare for the future with Next-Gen AMI, a future resilient, integrated system of smart meters and devices, communication services, modern applications and data management technologies. Building on the original promise of the initial wave, we work with clients to plan, design, deploy and operate a next-generation AMI from leading technology partners that will enable modern technologies, unlock new business benefits and address the challenges of brownfield implementation. For utilities that are planning or have recently implemented their initial AMI deployment, many modern Next Gen AMI applications can complement these deployments for years to come.

Unlocking the Value of Next-Gen AMI

Capgemini’s consultative approach, deep business transformation expertise, and expansive ecosystem of technology partners has shaped the development of its Next-Gen AMI offering, which incorporates smart metering, smart analytics and smart grid capabilities to drive organizational efficiency, enable new services and address a wide range of complex regulatory, environmental and security challenges. Advantages include:

Reliability: Improve availability, power quality, outage restoration times and other key performance indicators through advanced technology and process optimization

Smart grid enablement: Establish a communication network that serves as the backbone for smart grid technology and programs, including demand response, energy transition, distributed energy resources and electric vehicle charging

AMI refresh: Replace end-of-life infrastructure and modernize applications and architecture; address gaps in the initial deployment such as hard to reach meters

Distributed intelligence: Leverage edge computing to enable aggregation of data based on territory or function to improve speed and accuracy of management and response efforts

Customer involvement: Enable two-way communication with customers and create a foundation from which to launch new or enhanced services

Capgemini is a global leader in smart energy services, successfully designing and delivering AMI projects that include more than 170 million smart meters, mass deployment of 23 million smart meters worldwide, and currently manages more than 10 million meters —more than any other organization.

Our Partners

Capgemini leverages a deep network of partners, including AMI infrastructure providers like Itron, installation providers, network operators, and software providers to help clients design, build and run a comprehensive and holistic AMI program. Our Next-Gen AMI solution leverages our partners’ edge computing and distributed intelligence capabilities to bring data and decision making closer together.

We recently attended and sponsored Itron Inspire 2021, a three-day event with many informative sessions and keynotes where we heard from leaders on the ongoing transformation of our industry. All content is available to watch on-demand through Nov. 19, 2021. Be sure to check out this video to hear leaders from Capgemini, EDF International Network, Itron and Schneider Electric discuss major industry trends driving the need for transformation. To learn more about next-gen AMI, visit our website.